Xander, Leo W, Halliwells and Faith
Xander rubbed tiredly at his eyes, watching the Halliwells and Leo try and find a way to bring Faith back.
"I could check with the Elders again," Leo offered.
Piper sighed.
"Do it, we have nothing else."
Leo nodded and patted her shoulder.
"She'll come back. From wherever she is."
Phoebe groaned and stood up.
"How do we know that's true? I mean, honestly, we've tried and tried, but nothing. What's the point in magic when you can't use it for anything?"
She lifted Faith's jacket from the couch and jumped back as a premonition hit her.
Faith's eyes were closed, her face pained as she was whipped again. New lines of blood appeared on her back as the lashes continued. She feebly called out for help, then resigned and took the pain.
"Oh my God..." Phoebe lifted a hand to her mouth.
"What, what is it?" Xander asked, sitting up straight.
"She's... she's in a hell dimension."
Leo's eyes widened.
"I'll go see what the Elders know."
He orbed out, returning seconds later, holding a small piece of paper. He handed it to Piper.
Piper, Phoebe and Paige read the spell allowed, and a moment later, Faith appeared on the ground, curled up in a ball.
Leo approached her and her head shot up, eyes wildly darting around.
"It's ok, Faith, it's ok," he said softly.
Faith narrowed her eyes and then passed out.
Leo and Paige scrambled over to her and healed her wounds, then Xander lifted her up and took her to the spare room, laying her down on the bed, then coming downstairs.
"Do we tell Zac yet?" Paige asked.
"Why don't we wait until she's talking again," Piper suggested. "She looked a little..."
"Half dead?" Phoebe offered.
"I was going to say worn out, but yes."
~*~*~*~
Faith's eyes snapped open and she got up from the bed. She looked out the window and snarled at her reflected appearance, her eyes flickering yellow and her fists clenching around the window sill. She yelped slightly in surprise and looked down at where she'd crushed the window sill, tiny splinters of wood embedded in her hands.
She didn't feel pain anymore.
She didn't feel anything.
As she picked the splinters from her hands, the party downstairs came to realise that she was going to be different.